Scientists say the recent San Ramon earthquake swarm is normal, but residents are on edge

Williamson said San Ramon sits atop a complex geological environment, which is one theory as to why the area experiences swarms every few years. The Calaveras Fault extends below the city in a transition zone.

It is part of the San Andreas Fault System and is capable of causing a 6.7 magnitude earthquake. To the east, the Mount Diablo Fault begins.

“All of these earthquakes happen in that transition zone,” Williamson said. “Any small changes cause that area to preferentially experience more earthquakes.”

The last major earthquake caused by the Calaveras Fault was in 1984 in Morgan Hill with a magnitude of 6.2. But if the Hayward Fault and Calaveras Fault, discovered by UC Berkeley scientists, were connected simultaneously, it could lead to a 7.3-magnitude earthquake.

Faults contain fluid that lubricates the ground, making it easier to move and causing earthquakes. As a person wets his hands and moves them together, the liquid reduces friction, and the rock can slide more freely, Williamson said.

Williamson said the fluid is usually a mixture of water and minerals, and that there is no “great model” to tell exactly how it moves through cracks within a fault system. This movement can cause earthquakes.

Williamson said the “constant rattle” should serve as a reminder that Bay Area residents live in a “really seismically active area.” She recommended preparing a travel bag containing clothes, food and water.

A sign for apartments on Deerwood Road in San Ramon on December 15, 2025. The area is located near the Calaveras Fault, an active fault that runs underground across the East Bay. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)

Epstein, who is retired, said she has begun preparing for a larger quake, by gathering masks, gloves, water, tools and canned food — though she needs to double-check expiration dates to make sure the food is still edible.

“I'm not to the point where I'm going to sleep with my shoes on or anything,” Epstein said. “I just hope that if the worst happens I can get to the bag in the closet.”

On the other hand, Hayes, who works as a server in Danville, is very prepared. She has a stock of perishable foods, flashlights, portable chargers that double as a flashlight, tealights, gallons of water, and a can of water in her car.

She's talked to her friends and neighbors about earthquakes and how to prepare, but they don't seem concerned.

“No one has any major concerns yet,” Hayes said. “I think it's because none of us have had a huge experience yet.”

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